Why We Drive on the Right and the Brits (and others) drive on the Left

This was a discussion this weekend on Car Talk with Tom and Ray and, while some of the answers were pretty hilarious, we decided to do a little research of our own and come up with an answer for our blog readers. Luckily, “The Google” works great. Unfortunately, there is a lot of different information as to why cars in the U.S. drive on the right and in a quarter of the world, drive on the left. The invention of the automobile had nothing to do with it, according to most historical interpretations.

The original drivers, those on horses, rode on the left because it was easier to grab your sword from the scabbard on the left side with your right hand. Think about it for a second…you’re riding along, you need to quickly grab a sword to fend someone off, you grab with your right hand. It would be easier if everything was on the left. Plus, knights got on and off their horses from the left since their swords dangled from their left sides. It just made sense to ride (or drive) along that side as well.

This all changed with the invention of larger wagons used for hauling that had multiple horses. Since there were no driver’s seats, the driver sat on the left rear horse so he could use his right arm to guide the horses.  Since the driver also needed to make sure there was clearance for the wagon and any other traffic, the drivers moved over to the right. You didn’t want to have wheel repairs and strut issues if you had a wagon accident.

Here’s where it gets even more interesting. After the French Revolution, most countries switched because the aristocracy used to walk or travel only on the left, forcing the peasants to walk on the right. Since the rich didn’t want any more problems with the poor after that revolution, they began blending in with everyone on the right side. England, though, hating everything French, stayed with driving on the left and made it law in 1835.

If you want to learn more about these driving standards, and avoid auto accidents should you drive a car in another country, you can read more here.

Making it Easy to Get Your Car Serviced

We are all busy. We get it! Sometimes, it’s easier to do something via computer rather than calling, waiting on hold or leaving a message. That’s why we have made it very easy to schedule auto services for your car or truck with all four of our locations on-line. You might not have noticed it since you are so busy.

Front End Alignment - Just one of our many services!

Here’s the link to the Nixa shop.

Here’s the link to West Springfield.

Here’s the link to North Springfield.

Here’s the link to Ozark.

Remember, we are here for you for all repair and service needs as well as regular maintenance. This is where the online appointment forms come in handy! Oil changes, brakes, tires and wheels plus alignments and nearly every other auto service your car might need routinely. We are here to help you with all these issues that, if not taken care of quickly, can compound and cost you even more!

Don’t forget, we offer free Wi-Fi if you are waiting and free shuttle if you want us to take you back to work or home.

Do Your "PART" for Your Tires!

Remember the acronym PART

When was the last time you took a good, long look at your tires? I mean really checked them over to make sure what you are driving on is safe? There is an easy way to remember what you need to do to make sure your tires are safe for the road. The acronym is PART: Pressure, Alignment, Rotation and Tread. If you do your part and follow PART, you will end up riding safer and spend less money when you need new tires down the road.

P=Pressure: This is fairly simple and one that almost everyone will remember since it is a tire. If the tires are under-inflated, that causes uneven wear (and gas mileage issues, by the way). Wear on the tires means you have less control of your vehicle during an accident. Get a tire gauge and check your tires periodically. Get into a routine and put it in your calendar. Once a month is a good amount.

A=Alignment: Your car wants to pull you to the left or right as you travel at higher speeds. Your alignment is out of whack and your front tires are facing in different directions. It happens all the time when you hit a large pothole or a curb. Make sure to get this taken care of right away when you feel that pull. Misalignment can cause major damage to your tires and cause accidents.

R=Rotation: Front tires wear faster than the back because they guide the car when you steer. Regular rotation eases the wear and it’s good to get this done every two oil changes or 7,000 miles. Some manuals have suggested times…be sure to follow those.

T=Tread: This is what grips the tire to the road. Other than the air inside your tire, this is the most important attribute. Without proper tread, the rain or snow or even some unseen liquid on the road can mean the difference between arriving safely or not arriving at all. When you check pressure, be sure to check tread. It’s really easy if you have a penny! Point Honest Abe’s head down into the tread. If it touches his head, you’re OK. If you put the penny into the tread and there is space between his head and the tread, you are low. Check several parts of the tires, as tread is different along the entirety.

Remember: PART. It’s the best defense against bad tires and possible accidents.

The Driverless Car

It was bound to happen at some point – you need a ride, don’t feel like driving or maybe you have been drinking and shouldn’t. No worries, you have an automated car! Hop in the passenger seat and let the robot drive you home!

The Lexus equipped to be driverless

Toyota and Audi this week introduced the driverless car at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Toyota says the technology is similar to Google's with the use of electronics, but that "the Google focus is on software mapping, that's what they're really good at. Toyota focuses on safety programs and more integrated programs", says Jim Pisz, corporate manager at Toyota North America.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-driverless-car-concept-gains-traction.html#jCp

While letting the car drive itself is in the not-so-distant future (none of the makers of the auto-car will let it go on the road on its own but some states have passed laws allowing that to occur), the electronics used on these cars are what is interesting to those of us who fix cars for a living. There are already sensors that let you know when your car might need a tune-up. But this technology can possibly prevent accidents by realizing potential danger seconds before the human driver does. We all get distracted on the road. Now, you will have a co-pilot who will be keeping a close “eye” on what’s going and keep you safe when you decide to answer your cell phone!

While this is really interesting stuff, we aren’t too worried about auto mechanics becoming extinct like the dinosaurs. We still need to help people with their maintenance and other issues. Hopefully, those robots are a century or two away!

Dirty Engine, Clean Oil - Sounds Wrong

And, it is wrong. Why would you put clean oil into your dirty engine? But you do it each time you change your oil or get an oil change.

Change your oil, but clean the engine before!

 Have you ever considered an oil system cleaner to get all the grime and build up in various parts of the engine? It's a simple process and can be done with an oil change. The cleaner is added to your motor oil before it gets changed and then the engine runs for about five minutes. The cleaner helps push the traces of carbon that gasoline leaves behind from your engine and then when the oil is drained, the cleaner comes out with it.

Your owner's manual might warn against adding anything to your oil, but remember, this is a cleaning agent and will be completely drained once it does it's job and comes out with the oil change. Not only will you clean out the deposits left by gasoline that hasn't fully combusted, you will help keep your vehicles' engine a live longer!